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New 'Navy Mayor' for San Diego: Rear Adm. Barnett assumes command at Naval Region Southwest
In a change of command ceremony on Friday, July 16, Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett assumed command of Navy Region Southwest from Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar.
On Saturday, July 17, Barnett joined the christening ceremony for USNS John Lewis, the first of a new class (T-AO) of Navy replenishment oilers being built at NASSCO shipyard.
Navy Region Southwest is one of eleven current naval regions responsible to Commander, Navy Installations Command for the operation and management of Naval shore installations in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico.
Bolivar is retiring from the Navy after 40 years of service. Barnett reports here from Silverdale, Wash., where he served as Commander, Navy Region Northwest. He has previously been assigned as Commanding Officer, Naval Base Coronado.



MCAS Miramar holds change of command
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (July 9, 2021) -- U.S. Marine Corps Col Charles B. Dockery, the outgoing commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (right), passes the organizational colors to Col. Thomas M. Bedell, the incoming commanding officer of MCAS Miramar (left), during the change of command ceremony at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, July 9, 2021. During the ceremony, Dockery relinquished his duties as the commanding officer of MCAS Miramar to Bedell. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jose S. GuerreroDeLeon.



New boss at ESG 3
Rear Adm. Michael Baze relieved Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 during a leadership turnover ceremony on board Naval Base Point Loma June 21.
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No burnt paws: Summer safety tips for your pets
Heat safety is essential to caring for your pets - and now that it’s getting hotter, let’s talk texture and surfaces!
A common tip for summer days is to put the back of your hand on the ground for 7 seconds to make sure it’s not too hot for your pet’s paws. And while this is great advice, it’s important to remember that surfaces retain and release heat differently. For example, grass is cooler on a hot day than mulch. Cement is cooler than asphalt. And hot sand - well, it seems like everyone in San Diego has burned a toe or two on that at some point!
So while you’re out and about, take note of the surfaces your pet’s feet are touching and do temperature checks throughout your walks. And remember - an area that’s shady now may have been in the sun for hours. That’s why it’s still important to check the temperature of the ground even during early evening walks. The good news is that by training yourself to take these precautions, your pup can have a safe summer even when temperatures soar!
Visit our website for other helpful tips! Read more...



San Diego native takes charge of U.S. 3rd Fleet
Vice Adm. Steve Koehler relieved Vice Adm. Scott D. Conn as commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, during a change of command ceremony at Naval Base Point Loma, June 3. Read more...Read

USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group returns to San Diego

PACIFIC OCEAN -- Two F/A-18 Super Hornets assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), April 29, 2021. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group returned to San Diego May 25. Read more...

Welcome home Makin Island ARG: USS Makin Island, USS San Diego, USS Somerset, 15th MEU
More than 5,000 Sailors and Marines of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned to their San Diego homeport May 21-23, concluding a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation.
Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), embarked aboard the ships of the ready group, arrived off the coast of Southern California, May 21, to disembark at Camp Pendleton. Read more....
Pictured above: Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Branston Moore and a member of his welcome home committee!

SAN DIEGO (May 23, 2021) Information Systems Technician 1st Class Jasmin Trias greets family following amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset ’s (LPD 25) return to homeport of Naval Base San Diego. Somerset, part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group returned to Naval Base San Diego May 23 after a deployment to U.S. 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets where they served as a crisis-response force for combatant commanders in the Africa, Central and Indo-Pacific Commands. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Michael J. Lieberknecht.

SAN DIEGO (May 23, 2021) Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class Kameron Bradley greets his family for the first time after returning to homeport from a seventh-month deployment aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Michael J. Lieberknecht.

USS Bunker Hill returns from deployment
Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) returned to San Diego, marking the successful completion of its deployment to U.S. 3rd Fleet and 7th Fleet areas of operations, May 22.
Bunker Hill, part of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG), departed on deployment to the Indo-Pacific, Dec. 23, 2020. Read more...

USS Russell (DDG 59) returns from deployment
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) returned to San Diego after a deployment to U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleet areas of operations, May 21.
Russell left San Diego in early December 2020 to take part in a sustainment exercise with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) before deploying to the Indo-Pacific, Dec. 23, 2020.
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Pictured Above: Lt. Andres Solarte, from Brentwood, N.Y., holds his child on the pier after disembarking Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russel.



Camp Pendleton: A bison's paradise
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was given 14 Plains Bison from the San Diego Zoo from 1973-1979. Today, the bison herd consists of approximately 90 individuals. Along with another herd on Santa Catalina Island, the herd on Camp Pendleton is one of only two wild conservation herds of bison in all of California.
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USS Bonhomme Richard decommissioned at Naval Base San Diego
The U.S. Navy held a decommissioning ceremony for amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego April 14... Read more....

Welcome Home!
USS Freedom (LCS 1) returns to San Diego homeport

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO (April 12, 2021) U.S. Navy Sailors man the rails aboard Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1), April 12. Freedom returned to Naval Base San Diego following their deployment in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South’s counter illicit drug trafficking mission in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Richard Cho.



Change of command at NMCSD/NMRTC
Capt. Bradford Smith turned over command of Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD)/Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) San Diego to Capt. Devin Morrison, presided over by Naval Medical Forces Pacific Commander Rear Adm. Tim Weber April 9.... Read more....



Capt. Ted Carlson assumes command of Naval Base San Diego
Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) hosted a Change of Command with Capt. Ted Carlson relieving Capt. Mark Nieswiadomy March 24, 2021.. Read more....



Navy, Marine Corps release Unmanned Campaign Plan
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps released their Unmanned Campaign framework. The Unmanned Campaign Plan represents the Navy and Marine Corps’ strategy for making unmanned systems a trusted and integral part of warfighting. Read more....



Navy announces release of MQ-25A home basing final Environmental Assessment
The Navy has released a final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for home basing of the MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based Unmanned Air System (Stingray CBUAS) at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu, California. Read more....



Sign up now to'Bridge' the distance between us at MWR virtual run May 9-16
This year Navy Region Southwest Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Program will ‘bridge’ the distance between us, as they open registration for a Virtual Bridge Run event! Read more....

3RD MAW grows as an integrated all-domain naval power
Marines with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) prepare for the commencement of phase two of Winter Fury-21, a large-scale, joint force exercise that ensures the Marines of 3rd MAW are prepared, equipped, and trained to win any high-end, future fight. Read more....



Hicks confirmed as deputy secretary of defense
The Defense Department’s glass ceiling is cracking: Kathleen H. Hicks was confirmed by the Senate as the 35th deputy secretary of defense Feb. 8. Read more....



Austin orders stand down to address challenge of extremism in the ranks
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered a DOD-wide stand down to discuss the problem of extremism in the ranks, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said Feb. 3 . Read more....



VA San Diego Healthcare System celebrates 49 years of academic partnerships
SAN DIEGO — VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) announced Jan. 29 as part of its 75th anniversary commemoration of academic affiliations that it has trained over 1,600 of health professionals annually in collaboration with national academic affiliations. Read more....



All is well for ship's bell
NAF EL CENTRO — What do a World War I Marine Corps general, World War II Navy ship, Brown University, and a garage sale in Soledad, California have in common? If you guessed a bell, you would be correct. Read more....




First female to command aircraft carrier
The Navy announced that Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt will assume command of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), marking the first time a female commanding officer will lead the crew of one of the Navy’s 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Read more....



The JLTV, revolutionizing motor transportation in the Marine Corps
OKINAWA, JAPAN – The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is integrated into training on Okinawa, and it is already changing the way the Marines envision motor transportation. The JLTV will cut down thousands of hours of annual maintenance and allow Marines to drive to remote locations with minimal mechanical support, said Staff Sgt. Robert O. Sempell, Shop Chief, Truck Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. Read more....


DoD announces 5G prototype testing at San Diego Navy base
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD (R&E)) has selected Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) to be one of five Tranche 1 sites for the Department of Defense’s 5G to Next G Initiative.
The NBSD site will utilize a Naval Base Coronado warehouse operated by Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center San Diego (FLCSD) to prototype a smart warehouse use case enabled by 5G technology and to perform at-scale experimentation using the developed prototypes.
The prototyping’s objectives are to create a proving ground for testing, refining, and validating emerging 5G enabled technologies and to increase the efficiency and fidelity of NAVSUP FLCSD logistic operations.
Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific will lead the technical assessment with NBSD, NAVSUP, and NAVSUP FLCSD, supporting the implementation and execution of the experiments, performing test and evaluation, and ensuring the deployed 5G technology and smart warehouse applications meet Navy and OUSD (R&E) expectations.
The desired outcome is a 5G enabled smart warehouse that improves the efficiency, accuracy, security, and safety of materiel and supply handling, management, storage, and distribution for NAVSUP FLCSD, and a prototype transition plan for NAVSUP.
Industry partners have been selected to design and build the 5G test bed, various network enhancements, and warehouse specific applications.



Marine Corps to build innovative wargaming center
by Matt Gonzales Marine Corps Systems Command
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- The Marine Corps will soon build a state-of-the-art facility to better visualize the threat environment, gain competitive advantages and simulate future operating environments.Read more....







United Through Reading®
Deploying? Service members invited to record stories for family at San Diego USO
United Through Reading® is a program helping ease the stress of separation for military families by having deploying or deployed service members read children’s books aloud via DVD for their family to watch at home. This powerful program is available to all military units. It provides service members a chance to make lasting connections from afar. The DVD recording and the book are mailed to the child and family back home.
Service members who are leaving for training can also take part in this program. Being a parent is not required; service members can send the DVD & book(s) to any special child in their life such as younger sister or brother, niece, nephew or godchild.
On the day of the recording, service members are encouraged to dress in the attire they will be wearing while deployed/training, but this is not required. The room is private, so any special message, or those fun reading voices, will only be heard by the recipient of the DVD recording. USO San Diego has books available, or service members can bring their own. Our volunteers will help set up the camera and then leave the room. The DVD can hold a 30 minute recording.
Please e-mail USO San Diego Staff Member Nichole Duarte at utr@usosandiego.org to make your appointment. This program is offered at both USO San Diego centers.